Building a Culture of Growth

cover image: Photo by Akil Mazumder from Pexels

There’s no equality in tech job market. Top candidates get swept up by FAANG while the majority of us are left with rookies or folks who never had the chance to grow the leg of their T.

When I started Otomato I had the intention of building a community of true experts. Trouble is – the culture of skill-sharpening isn’t that easy to nurture. Especially when you’re focused on keeping your customers happy. (We make it our rule to never bill the customer for our learning)

Two very promising young engineers left the team in the last couple of months. They both grew from juniors to very solid professionals. On one hand – I’m happy to see them ready for their next adventure. But they aren’t experts yet. So for me – there’s a goal unreached.

The rest of us are learning every day. If you leave your screen at the end of the day and you don’t know even a little bit more than you knew yesterday – you’ve wasted a workday.

We’re also actively hiring new consultants. And having these internal dialogues all the while – should we hire someone who already knows the job, or should we hire for potential and motivation? I always lean towards the latter. Our job is continuous learning anyway.

Of course there’s a price. Growing juniors takes the toll on seniors. But it’s a price well worth paying. The more juniors you help grow – the better professional (and human) you yourself become.

And if you ask me – in the end it’s all about being a better human. That’s the only growth that really matters.

Originally published on Otomato